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Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a gorgeous open-world adventure that, despite having some similarities to Ubisoft’s own Far Cry, has its own identity that begs you to explore every nook and cranny. That exploration won’t be for everyone, but for those of you tired of having your hands held, there’s a lot to see, do, and enjoy.
Rogue Trader is very much a release in the Owlcat Games mould, combining a great degree of customization with a solid story, meaningful choices, and interesting characters. While all that, combined with excellent use of the Warhammer 40,000 setting, comes perilously close to pushing Rogue Trader into the greatest realm of CRPGs, unfortunate balance issues, obtuse design elements, and myriad bugs prevent the title from achieving its full potential.
From a gameplay perspective, Gangs of Sherwood breaks little in the way of new ground. But thanks to the talent of its developer, an eye for creative world design, and the classic, swashbuckling spirit of yesteryear, this plucky bout of melee mayhem pushes past its limitations to deliver a great-looking and enjoyable scrapper for you and your band of merry men.
Super Mario RPG is a faithful remake of the 1996 classic, which adds several new gameplay features and some welcome quality-of-life updates. While the revisioned graphics, sound, and music are amazing, the storytelling is still very basic with a challenge that is somehow easier than the Super Nintendo original. However, if you can stomach the price, which is a bit high considering the overall package, there’s still a lot of fun to be had here.
While die-hard Phantom Thieves will enjoy stepping into the Metaverse once again - as slick, stylish, and cool as it ever was - Persona 5 Tactica lacks variety, momentum, and challenge. Its key issue lies in a fatal lack of mechanical balance, resulting in an endearing but unsatisfying strategy experience.
Modern Warfare 3 has moments of Call of Duty classics, with a reinvigorated multiplayer, and a twist on Zombies. However, there is too much Warzone polluting the base experience, and the franchise should try harder to keep both experiences unique.
With Alan Wake II, Remedy delivers a sequel that often stumbles under the weight of its own ambition but corrects its missteps with a gloriously gloomy atmosphere, excellent sound and visual design, and engaging methods of cinematic storytelling. A bold experiment in survival horror that provokes just as much as it unsettles, and is not soon to be forgotten.
Beyond the Dawn is a great time for those wanting more Tales of Arise, and the same great gameplay systems are all there, but it feels like a missed opportunity to expand upon what was an already great game given the time between release and DLC.
Like A Dragon Gaiden is another great game in a long-running series, that continues the high-quality tradition. It’s packed to the brim with content and offers great drama that not only gets Kiryu sucked back into the underground world, but also yourself.
Sonic Superstars has all of the ingredients, but something has gone askew in the baking, resulting in an adventure overburdened with gimmicks while lacking in coherence. While the colorful world, nostalgic presentation, and fun cast of characters shine, Sonic Superstars frequently proves unwieldy and antagonistic, wrestling against its own design while roadblocking fun. There’s enjoyment here for the dedicated fanbase, but the wider community should look elsewhere.
With Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Nintendo has delivered a beautifully designed, charmingly realized, and thoroughly joyful jaunt through another fantastical universe. Sporting razor-sharp gameplay - positively bursting with character and personality - Wonder is a celebration of gaming in its purest form, while still boasting one of the most unique and evolutionary experiences in genre history.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 proves why Insomniac Games is one of the better dev studios out there. Although it feels familiar, it’s still one of the better superhero games out there. One could spend hours just swinging around the city, and fighting the villains has never been as fun.
Ghostrunner II masterfully carries forward its signature acrobatic combat, embedding it seamlessly into a dystopian backdrop. Despite some new gameplay aspects needing a touch-up, its foundational experience is distinctively gratifying.
Lords of the Fallen is a solid, if conventional Soulslike, offering imposing adventure while never quite breaking new ground. Though a litany of performance woes currently hinders the experience, expansive realms, gloomy lore, and a bloody, heavy-handed challenge await the more sadistic corners of the game-playing audience.
Assassin’s Creed celebrates its 15-year anniversary with a presentable tale of stealth & stab, set against the backdrop of a beautifully realized Baghdad. Unfortunately, in returning to its roots, Mirage casts an unwelcome spotlight on the series’ dated mechanics, signaling a need for evolution. For the franchise faithful, however, Assassin’s Creed Mirage remains a fine adventure offered at an agreeable price.
Payday 3 is a great version of Payday, which in itself was a whole lot of fun. At a decent price and with frantic heist action when things go wrong there is such a lot of fun to get out of the game but we are left wondering whether we could have seen more new stuff after a decade of waiting for this follow-up. It will live or die on the loyalty of the playerbase which hopefully means it will do well.
A great follow-up to Cyberpunk 2077 with a stellar cast that brings a thrilling story to the streets of Dogtown. The gameplay changes bring it up to a better standard, but if you are not a fan of the original, don’t expect Phantom Liberty to change your mind.
Mortal Kombat 1 is another great fighting game that released in 2023. While it exhibits some of the same faults previous entries did, the Kameo system adds a new depth to the main mechanics.
With polished gameplay, a splendid aesthetic, and a demonstrable commitment to quality, Lies of P evolves beyond its over-familiar designs to become a splendid new entry in the genre that mercy forgot. For players who believe staying down is never an option, this engaging new Soulslike will absolutely deliver the action, adventure, and challenge you seek.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is the perfect example of what a talented, passionate team who takes the time to listen to community feedback is capable of doing in gaming. They made all the right choices where it counted by getting the right people for the job, from the storytellers, actors, technical developers, and more. What we’re left with is a memorable gaming experience that provides more value than many games which had a lot more money thrown at them, and the community has almost universally shown their appreciation for that. There isn’t much more to say other than more of the same, please.